EXCLUSIVE: Alex Cole-Hamilton quickly rolled back and said it was not a “fair” comparison.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has likened indyref2 to having a referendum on the death penalty.
But Alex Cole-Hamilton quickly rolled back on his claim and insisted he was not comparing independence to capital punishment.
He also told the Record he has no regrets about supporting the SNP Government’s doomed gender recognition bill.
Polls suggest the Lib Dems are in line to make gains on May 7 after several disappointing Holyrood election results.
Cole-Hamilton believes he can win seats from the SNP and is eyeing up ten constituencies.
Speaking to the Record’s Planet Holyrood podcast, he said: “We are going to make a big leap forward. We’re coming to this election just after the best election for Liberals in 100 years at the general election, where we overtook the Tories [and] we came within touching distance of the SNP and trebled our seats.
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“We’re going do the same again in those 10 key constituencies where we’ve got the beating at the SNP.”
Although the polls show the SNP in line for a comfortable victory, Cole-Hamilton believes the Nationalists will “fall back”.
“I think in a lot of cases, their voters aren’t paying attention. They still hold their nose and vote for the SNP to back independence, and that’s why you’re hearing John Swinney relentlessly talking about another divisive push for an independence referendum, because he knows he can’t fight on his record.”
On indyref2, which SNP leader John Swinney wants to take place in 2028, Cole-Hamilton was asked if he could ever support a second referendum.
“No,” he said. “Because it’s not a policy I believe in. Ultimately, it’s not for me to offer a pathway to the SNP as to how they get a second independence referendum. It just wastes so much political oxygen. It’s not why I’m in politics.
He added: “I wouldn’t ever vote for another independence referendum.”
Put to him that Scots should know the route to indyref2, he said he would not do so on other causes he opposed: “I mean, it’s a really interesting one, right, because think of another policy. Say, for example, the public supported capital punishment, and they wanted to know, what’s the route for it?”
He then said: “I’ll roll that back actually because it’s not a fair comparison. I can see your eyes twinkling there.
“Or just another policy that we don’t support. I’m not going to offer my opponents a valid route to get there, because it’s just something I fundamentally disagree with.”
He clarified: “I don’t think independence is like capital punishment.”
In 2022, the Lib Dems were part of a Holyrood majority that passed an SNP Government bill to make it easier for trans people to change gender.
The plans divided the country, with critics fearing women’s sex-based spaces would be compromised.
Asked if he regretted voting for the Bill, he said: “No. A humane approach to gender recognition is still an unanswered question. I recognise the division this has caused in our society, so we’re not looking to relitigate this in the next Parliament.
“I think this needs to be allowed to settle and just to find its level. And then ultimately, we will circle back to this on a four nations’ basis because we don’t want to cross equalities legislation and address it like that.
“But I don’t regret it because there was a lot of discussion about what it was and what it wasn’t. Let’s be clear, gender recognition reform is not a passport. It doesn’t allow you into a place you weren’t allowed yesterday. It just allows trans people the dignity of having the state reflect who they were in the documents they’re required to hold.”
He also said: “We accept the Supreme Court judgement on the definition of a woman.”
Cole-Hamilton was also asked about nurse Sandie Peggie, who objected to sharing a female changing room with a transgender doctor.
Peggie won a claim for harassment against NHS Fife but other allegations of discrimination and victimisation were dismissed.
Asked whether he considers Peggie to be a hero, Cole-Hamilton said:
“No. I wouldn’t consider her a hero, but I don’t have any animosity towards her. I think she took a view about a circumstance that none of us have a private insight into.”
